Austin's Alternate Destiny
by jab86
Summary: Disclaimer: I own nothing. "Mr. Destiny" Touchstone Pictures and "A Cinderella Story" is owned by WB. This is a story about, Austin, Mr. Destiny type story. He thinks "what if" he had taken his scholarship to USC. Enjoy!
1. Late Again

**Late Again**

Have you ever regretted a past decision? What if I choose the other road?Life hadn't turned out like I'd hoped. My dream of being a writer was at a dead end, the publishers keep rejecting every book I send them. Working a dead-end job doing the same thing every single day, the hate was growing at every moment. My wife was the one thing that kept me going, she was the best decision I ever made. However, that didn't stop me from thinking "what if", feeling guilty at the same time. It wasn't any different then any other day, besides it being my birthday. I doubt there is anything special about turning 30, I mean after age 21 your just getting older. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary; not in my wildest dreams would I think this was possible. So, here is my story.

"Sam, you almost ready? I want to be on time for work at least once this week." Yelling from the garage.

"Sorry, I had to fix my hair, it wasn't working with me." She smiled at me. Looking beautiful as always. He couldn't ever stay annoyed with her long, even if he was late to work.

"So, what did you get me for my birthday?" He asked with curiosity. "Turning thirty isn't exactly the same as turning twenty-one." She laughed.

"Well, you will have to wait and see." Her face lit up to the idea of him having to wait.

"You mean I can't see it right now?"

"No, it's one of those things that has to wait." As they got in to the car to leave the house. Sam, of course drove, she always did even though she was the first to be dropped off at her place of work. After a short drive to the diner, Sam, stepped out of the car and waited for, Austin, to come around to give her a hug and kiss goodbye. "Have a good day at work today, OK." Holding each other tight as they hugged and sharing a soft kiss. She began to walk away, but before she could get in the door of the diner, she stopped and turned around. "By the way, I have to stay late for, Rhonda, tonight so I'll be home pretty late,OK?" Waving to him and going inside before he could respond.

"But, it's my birthday." Whispering after she disappearing in the diner. "Well, today is off to a great. Guess, it's a TV dinner and a movie for my birthday tonight." Looking down before putting the car in drive and headed for work.

Arriving at work, pulling in to the parking space. Letting out a sigh, turning off the car, heading inside his office. Austin didn't have a bad job, he was an editor for the city's newspaper. It wasn't the best pay, but it was a way to keep up his creativity for writing. Sitting down at his desk noticing he had a mountain of paperwork to go through already. As he read through his first assignment of the day, his boss walked over to him with the look of death.

"Mr. Ames, is there a reason you were late, again?"

"Sorry, my wife and I have to share a car since our other one is in the shop." Avoiding eye contact. "It won't happen again."

"Well, I'm sorry to say, but that isn't an excuse. Everyone else seems to be able to get here on time. It better not happen again or else your outta here!"

"Yes, sir." he replied quietly. Watching him walk away and rolling his eyes. "This is another reason why I want to be a writer, no boss hassling you to be to work on time." Shaking his head he continued with his work.

Later that day around lunchtime, Carter came over to his desk in a bouncy mood. "Austin, happy birthday!" What did, Sam, get you?" He asked while taking a seat on top of his desk.

"She hasn't told me,yet. But, she has to work late tonight. So, looks like it's going to be just me at home tonight."

"Really, that sucks, man. Why does she have to work late?"

"She's covering for, Rhonda." Stacking his paperwork after looking them over.

"Oh, well do you want me to come by tonight?"

"If you want, it'd be nice to have company."

"Alright, if I don't have any big plans I will. By the way I got you an gift." Pulling an envelope from his back pocket. Watching, Austin, open it up, he couldn't help, but laugh.

"A gift card to Starbucks?" Arching his eyebrows.

"Yeah, Sam, used to joke that you used to hang out there and write poetry." He replied with sarcasm.

"Yeah, I remember that." Smiling as if he was having a flashback. "Thanks, buddy."

"Look, I better get back to work. See ya later."

"Later." Carter and Austin, had grown to become very close friends after him and, Sam, began dating. It wasn't an everyday friendship. Carter, was writer for the newspaper; however, he did some acting in commercials on the side. Not a bad setup. The three of them were inseparable, once they finished college. "Alright, just a few more things to edit, and I'm all done." Talking out loud.

Hope you enjoyed it. More coming...


	2. Your Outta Here

**Your outta here!**

The day had finally come to an end, he finished his last assignment and was ready to had home for the night. But, before he could leave, the boss stopped him.

"Mr. Ames, I need to see you immediately." Signaling him over with his finger. Heading in to the office and closing the day behind him and taking a seat.

"What did you need to see me for?" Asking with a bit of confusion.

"Well, I received a call from the big man upstairs; apparently I wasn't the only one noticing you coming in tardy almost everyday. So, he told me that we have no choice, but to let you go." Looking back up at, Austin, after shuffling some papers around.

"What? Why?" He responded, completely caught of guard.

"I'm sorry, Austin, you do an awesome job for us, but if you can't be here on time, that's bad and we have to make an example out of someone. Unfortunately, it's going to be you."

"Wait, an second, I've been here almost seven years, and busted my behind for you guys. How is it fair to punish me for being late, it's not like I'm causing things to get out behind schedule."

"I understand where your coming from, Austin, but it's a discipline thing. We have to show that were not playing favorites, I'm sorry."

"Whatever, I'll just get my stuff and get out of here. I didn't like this job, anyway." Storming out of his office, and heading back to his desk to pack up his things. Carter, walked up slowly, afraid to ask what happened.

"Hey, dude, I heard about what happened. It's just not fair, specially since it's your birthday." Austin didn't make eye contact with him. He was just throwing his things in to a box without even organizing it. "Look, I can't imagine what is going throw your head right now, but I know things will get better for you. Didn't you just submit another one of your stories to the publishers?"

"Yeah, I did." Still not looking at Carter. "But, what makes you think that they'll accept that one? They've reject the last five stories I submitted."

"Austin, you can't give up your dream." Placing his hand on his shoulder. "Look at me, Austin."

Finally, making eye contact. "Everything happens for a reason, OK? Your going to land on your feet." He nodded and then grabbed the box and headed for the exit. "I'll see ya later tonight, alright?" Austin, put his hand up and waved as he walked away. Got in to his car, not wanting to go home quite yet. As he was driving down the street passing the diner, he noticed a bar down the street, he wasn't normally a big drinker, but after having a rough day, why not? Pulling in to the bar parking lot, and shutting down his engine. He couldn't do anything, but sit there for a minute and debate whether go to in or not.

"Well, I guess I'll have a drink and go home." Getting out of the car and proceeded through the entrance. The place was surprisingly empty, except for the lone bartender.

"Hey, how's it going?" Drying the inside of a glass. "What can I get you?" Sitting down, not knowing how to respond, considering he wasn't a regular to any bar. Today, was one the worst days of his life, so anything strong was an option.

"Well, I'm not sure. Normally don't do this." Letting out a nervous chuckle.

"Rough day?" Leaning in closer with more interest.

"Yeah, just one of those days nothing going my way." Grabbing the bar peanuts and cracking the shells open. Looking closer at the bartender with curiosity. "Have we met before? You look like someone I've seen before."

"I don't know, sir. Maybe, we have." Grinning. "My name is, Mike, sorry to be rude." Holding out his hand.

"Austin, nice to meet you." Shaking his hand.

"So, what makes today so bad?" Grabbing a glass and walking toward the back of the bar.

"Well, today is my birthday for one, and I got fired from my job. It was just a temporary thing until I can fulfill my dream."

"Uh huh, and what would that be?" His back was facing, Austin, mixing a drink as he listened.

"I want to be a writer, but every book I've sent in has been rejected." Taking a breath while he eats a peanut. "My wife is also working late tonight, so I don't have anyone to go home to."

"Do you two get along?"

"Oh yeah. Were great together. She was the one inspired me to follow my dream. I gave up a Scholarship to USC to pursue my dream and her."

"Wow, that had to be a tough decision for you."

"Actually, it was an easy one; yet, I can't help but wonder if I had stuck with football."

"Everyone looks back at those life changing decisions, it's normal." Walking towards the bar with the drink.

"I know, but I'd give anything to see what my life could have been like if I had taken my scholarship."

Looking at the glass with the mystery drink. "Whats this?"

"Oh it's a secret, just something I give to everyone that goes through a rough time." Smiling as if he knew something, Austin, didn't. Watching him as he takes a small sip, sampling the mystery drink.

"Wow, that's strong, but not bad at all." Finishing it quickly. "Well, I guess it's time to head home. Thanks for listening to my problems."

"One more thing before you go." Austin, stops and turns around. "Did you really mean what you said? About wanting to know what life would been like if you kept the scholarship?"

"Yeah, absolutely." Shaking his head and then pushing the door open to head outside.

"Here we go, again" Mike said to himself with a smile.

To be continued...


	3. New Life

**New Life**

As he walked out of the bar, he had a vision of what could've happened if he'd stayed in the game. First, he remembers looking up in the bleachers, hearing his named being cheered over and over, his dad on the sidelines, and, Sam, leaving the game. Looking at his teammates, and ignoring her leaving the game. She wasn't only walking out of the game, but also walking out of his life. Running the quarterback option he leaped in to the end zone, scoring the winning touchdown. The crowd was going crazy! Everyone began rushing the field, picking up, Austin, in the process. Completely forgetting about, Sam, enjoying his incredible finish. Returning to reality, shaking his head with a smile. "That would have been a great way to win the game." Talking out loud to himself. "Wait, where is my car?" Freaking out about his car not in the space he'd left it in. "This nights just getting better and better." Running to the entrance of the bar, the door was locked. "Did he close down early already?" Hitting the door with his fist with frustration. After pacing in front of the bar, he decides to walk home. This had turned out to be the worst birthday of his life. Kicking rocks as he crosses the street. Right as he arrives at the front of the house a cab pulls up before he can go any farther. Austin, looks inside and notices the driver is, Mike, from the bar.

"Austin, I need you to get in the car. I need to talk to you. It's important."

"What is it?" Not wanting to get in the car. "My house is right here I don't need a ride."

"Actually, that's one of the things I need to talk to you about. You don't live there anymore." Austin stood there with a look of confusion on face, not sure how to react, he gets in the back of the cab. "OK, I'm all ears." Making an immediate U turn, Mike, begins to explain whats happened.

"You remember what you said to me back at the bar?" Looking in to the rear view mirror.

"Yeah, about the if I had stayed in the game?" Wondering why he, again asked about it.

"Well, it happened. Your stayed in the game. Then lead your team to victory."

"Yeah, right. Is this some kind of joke? Did, Sam, put you up to this?"

"No, this isn't joke, Austin."

"So, me staying in the game changes where I live?" Responding doubtfully.

"Yes, it actually changed a lot things about your life."

"Is this something you do a lot, change peoples lives?" He said Sarcastically

"I've been known to make an adjustment or two." Replying with a smirk on his face, continuing to drive.

"Right. So, what did it supposedly change?" Glaring over Mike's shoulder.

"I can't tell you that, Austin. It's your life, you figure it out." Finally after what seemed like a long drive, they arrived at Austin's house. It was enormous! Imagine your watching one of those TV shows where their talking about homes that cost millions. Well, his house was one of them.

"You've gotta be kidding me, right?" Staring out the window in disbelief.

"Austin, it's time for you to get out. I have some personal business to take care of."

"But...what am I suppose to do?" Waving his hands in the air.

"Whatever you do will be just fine." Replying with a confident smirk. Nodding his head, hinting for him to get out of the car. Austin goes blank for a moment not trusting what, Mike, has told him. However, he steps out of the cab and watches it drive out of the driveway disappearing down the street. As he is walking up the drive way he notices a couple old sports cars just outside the garage, wondering who they belong to.

Reaching the front door, but hesitating to go in not knowing what to expect. Taking a deep breath and slowly twisting the door knob, opening the door. Once he is inside, the last person in the world he wants to see is inside waiting for him.

"Austin, honey where have you been?" Shelby said with a stern voice. What is she doing here? Austin thought to himself. Where is Sam?

"Um...I was just out for a drive, I guess." Completely shocked to see, Shelby Cummings, in his house.

"Oh...well, you better go upstairs and get ready. The guests are going to arrive for you birthday party."

"Birthday party? I had a long day today, Shelby. I'm not really in the mood."

"Look, this isn't an debate, your going to get ready and your going to do it now!" It was like steam was blowing out of her ears and her face was bright red. The fact he was in too much shock to argue he decided to go get ready. As he walked up the stairs, he begins to become more curious about his new home. Wondering around the upper level jaw to the floor and, popping out of his head, amazed of what he has seen.

"Why do I need eight bedrooms?" Walking around the upstairs in confusion. He was puzzled, he had no kids, or pets in the house it was just him and Shelby. Finally, getting ready and walking down the stairs seeing that a lot people have arrived already. No a single person was vaguely familiar; however, a man in the middle of the crowd waving his hand in the air, trying to get his attention. Realizing who it was once he was able to push through the large group of guests.

"Hey, son, happy birthday!" Giving him a hug and handing him his gift. "So, hows it feel to hit thirty?"

Austin, unsure of how to respond.

"It's about the same I suppose." With a fake laugh.

"That's my, boy!" Grinning and grabbing his shoulder.

"Yeah. Before I forget, Austin, I need you to come down to the office tomorrow. We need to talk more about our expansion plans."

"Expansion plans?" He asked.

"Yeah, you and I have been working on expanding the car wash out of state." Still, confused Austin's dad explained that they have been talking about going nation wide with their family business. Apparently, after he graduated from USC, they opened more locations around California and became much more worthy. The more his dad explained, the more surprised and upset he became. His dad also mentioned that it was his proposal to expand outside California. Tuning his dad out, he kept thinking about, Sam. He missed her. Regretting what he had said back at the bar; wanting to leave and go find her. The party was a disaster. There was so many people there, most of which he had never seen before. Probably here for the the free meal. After what seemed to be an eternity the party was over, and the constant nagging of, Shelby, ended.

"Austin, may I ask why you were such a buzz kill tonight?" Placing her hands on her hips.

"What do you mean by that?"

"All you did is seat there with a blank look like you were bored out of your mind. You embarrassed me tonight. Why don't you ever listen to me?"

"Hey, one question at a time, Shelby. I wasn't in the mood to talk to your snobby friends, isn't my birthday?"

"I don't care what day it is! Your going to do what your told, got it?" Glaring over at him. Austin, couldn't do anything but stare back in disbelief. _How did I allow my self to marry her? _Thinking to himself. "Well, I'm going to bed. I expect a much better attitude tomorrow, okay?"

"Whatever." He said shaking his head. Watching her walk upstairs; glad she wasn't going to be an issue anymore, until the morning at least. Grabbing a blanket from the back of the couch in the living room he laid down. Laying there with his eyes open trying to drift off; all he could think about was, Sam.

"I need to find her tomorrow." Whispering to himself. Flashbacks of the football appeared in his mind, him chasing after her didn't happen, what was he going to do? Pulling out his cell phone to set an alarm to wake up early; getting to the diner was his first priority.


	4. Useless and Disappointing

**Useless and Disappointing**

Austin woke up and rubbed his eyes, amazed that he had woken up about twenty minutes early. Rising from the couch to stretch, he noticed that somebody was in the kitchen making breakfast. Could it be that Shelby was actually cooking for him? He walked towards the kitchen slowly, unsure if he should enter. Peeking his head around the corner, he noticed that it wasn't Shelby, but a woman who he assumed was his housekeeper. His heart dropped. For a minute, he had thought Shelby was going to actually be productive

"Oh, Mr. Ames, your wife left early this morning, but didn't tell me where she went," the woman replied as she tended to the hot stove .

"That's okay, thank you. I was just checking to see who was in here."

"Alright. Are you hungry, sir?" she questioned, offering the skillet she had just finished.

"Austin hesitated. He didn't feel like wasting time sitting down to eat breakfast, yet he felt bad that she had put in so much effort to make him a nice breakfast. Austin finished his meal within a few minutes, and then hurried out the door. As he walked onto the driveway, he saw two sports cars parked, one a 1967 GT 500 Mustang, and the other, a 1956 Porsche 550 Spyder. He chose the Mustang and smiled as he entered it. He had a passion for cars, especially Mustangs. When he was little, he had even collected all of the miniature car models except for this one.

After arriving at the diner and parking, Austin sat in his car, terrified to go in ."Here goes nothing." He stepped out of the car and approached the door slowly. Looking around, he noticed that the place was packed. Luckily, there was one table left and Austin quickly hurried to it and sat down. To keep his mind off of the mission at hand, he grabbed a menu and then let out a small laugh when he saw something familiar. "Sushi and donuts?" Of course, it wasn't helping the situation, just reminding him of what he had lost.

"Well, Austin Ames. What brings you in here?" The voice broke his train of thought and he looked up from the menu to see Sam glaring at him. "I didn't think a big shot like you would ever come in here."

"Um..., Sam, I actually came to see you." Sam stared back at him with confusion.

"What do you mean you came to see me? You haven't talked to me since high school, Austin." Austin looked down at the table, feeling ashamed of what he had done to her in this life.

"Look, I came to tell you that I was a fool. My decision to not go after you at the football game was a mistake."

"Right. Why would you even want to think about me? You have Shelby. It was your choice to stay in your pretend world. I gave you a chance to come after me, and told you that waiting for wasn't an option."Austin stared back at her, knowing that everything she said was right."You have everything you could ever want. Besides, I'm married now, so there will never be an us." Austin's eyes widened the moment he heard the word "married". He knew that if he was stuck in this life forever, he and Sam could never be.

"Married? To who?" he asked with curiosity.

"That doesn't matter, Austin." She sighed. "You know what? I was right about you when I said, 'Useless and disappointing.' You're about twelve years too late." Sam stormed off to serve coffee to some customers a few tables down. Austin inhaled sharply. This was the worst day of his life. All he could do was lean over the table, bury his head in his arms, and cry. All of a sudden, Mike from the bar showed up at his table from out of nowhere.

"Well Austin, find anything surprising about your new life?" Startled, Austin lifted his head..

"Yeah. This sucks, Mike. My own wife hates me," Austin replied, wiping the tears from his face.

"Well, can you really blame her? After you didn't go after her, she went on to Princeton without you, while you took the scholarship to USC, married Shelby, and helped your dad expand his business. You told me that this is what you wanted ."

"Well, I...I know," Austin replied, rubbing his face. "I just wish I could be back where things made sense."

"That's not how it works, unfortunately."

"So I'm stuck here. Is that what you're saying?"

"No, but I can't send you back. Only you can do that."

"How am I suppose to do that?"

"Austin, I can't tell you how. That's up to you to figure out." Austin turned his head to see if Sam was coming back to his table. He sighed when it became obvious that she wouldn't. Looking back, he discovered that Mike had disappeared. "Great. Now what am I supposed to do? "With a sigh, he left the diner and began walking out to his car. He was about to get in when he noticed another familiar face. "Hey, Carter. How's it going?" Carter turned around, surprised to see him.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

"I was in the area and decided to stop by," Austin replied, offering his hand for a handshake.

"Austin, don't take this the wrong way, but after what happened between you and Sam, I don't really want anything to do with you either."

"What? Come on Carter, I'm different now. I came to make peace with her."

"Well, she's moved on. Maybe you should too." With that Carter walked away and entered the diner without saying goodbye. All Austin could do was stand there in heartbroken shock. The two people who meant the world to him wanted nothing to do with him. Looking through the window, he watched Sam and Carter talk, apparently not realizing that he was still outside. He got into his car and sped away angrily. At that moment, he realized that his life with Sam wasn't as bad as he'd thought. Was it to late to go back?


	5. The Chase

**The Chase**

Austin drove down the road about twenty miles over the speed limit, but not caring due to the fact that he was getting more and more upset about his new life without his wife and best friend. Reluctant to go home, he drove around town the whole day, only stopping to get something to eat or go to the restroom. Driving the same speed hours later, he looked in his rear view mirror to see the headlights of a police car. "Oh, crap! I'm done for now!" Pulling his car over to the side of the road almost instantly. Scrambling to look for his registration and drivers license as the cop got out of his car and approached the window.

"Good evening, Sir. Can I see your license and registration, please?" Austin looked back at the cop, trying not to let the flashlight distract him.

"Yeah, sure. Hang on a second," he replied, going through the glove compartment and middle console, but having no luck finding the papers. He sighed in frustration, thinking his luck was just getting worse. Then, he finally noticed that it had fallen on the floor. He bent down and picked it up.  
"Here you go, Sir," he said, handing the documents to the officer."

"Okay Mr. Ames, do you know why I pulled you over?" the cop asked. Austin decided to play dumb and responded with a "No".

"Well, you were going about sixty-five mph in a forty-five mph zone," the officer told him with a disapproving shake of his head. "I think I'm going to have to write you a ticket, but let me go run your information. I'll be right back." With that, the officer walked back to his car and Austin could only wait for the man to write his ticket.

"I really can't afford to make things worse," he whispered to himself. He looked through the rear view mirror to see if the officer was coming back, and was surprised to see that the man had grabbed his radio. The officer walked away from his patrol unit and back to Austin's car.

"Did you know that your car was reported stolen?" the officer questioned. Austin's jaw dropped. "Stolen? This is my car! It's not stolen," he replied in a defensive tone.

"Well, this car is registered to a Shelby Ames," the officer told him.

"Yeah, that's my wife," Austin confirmed. "So how could it have been reported stolen?" he questioned with growing frustration.

"Your wife reported it stolen, which means we have to impound it." Austin gaped at the man. "Please step out of the car."

"Wait. Can't you just call her right now have her come down to work this out? I mean, it'd be a lot easier than impounding my car."

"Nope. We have to follow procedure. Now, please step out of the car, sir." Austin's day was already going badly, and he wasn't going to let it get any worse. Deciding that there was no way that he'd let the cops impound his car, he revved the engine and sped off. _There's no way I'm letting Shelby get away with this, _he thought to himself_, _realizing that she had done this to get back at him for the previous night. As the officer pursued him, Austin grabbed his cell phone and called Shelby, who answered after one ring. He rolled his eyes as she instantly yelled at him.

"Austin, where are you? You haven't been home all day!"He rolled his eyes in annoyance. _Figures, she acts like a spoiled brat, reporting that my car is hers and that it's been stolen, and then has to nerve to start yelling at me_, he thought to himself.

"Well, this isn't the time to argue with me about where I've been. Why did you say my car was stolen?"

"You needed to be taught a lesson for your behavior last night and right now."

"Shelby, are you out of your mind? That doesn't even come close to justifying why you called the cops and told them that **my **car was yours and that it had been stolen."

"Sorry, Austin. You need to learn who's the boss in our marriage." Austin stifled an enraged scream.

"All right, Shelby. I'll fix that right now! We're through!" He hung up his cell phone, interrupting her shriek of rage and tossed it out the window. Then, he refocused on a way to get away from the cop chasing him. He ran every red light, cut off every car, and broke pretty much every rule of the road. About half an hour later, the chase was still on and instead of only one squad car in pursuit, there were now approximately four or five cars on his tail. Nervously, he looked back to see if they were still chasing him. A honking horn brought his eyes back on the road and he was horrified to see a dump truck quickly approaching. He slammed on the brakes in an attempt to avoid the other vehicle, but it was too late. Still going full speed, he slammed right into it. The car had no air bags to cushion the impact, but Austin didn't care due to the fact that he was well aware of the cops on his tail. He jumped out of the car and fled as quickly as he could. Austin ran down the street realizing that unless he got creative, he wasn't going to be able to escape, so he into an alley behind an abandoned building. Hearing something above him, he looked up at the night sky to see that a helicopter had joined the pursuit. His pulse quickened and his heart rate sped up. He was out of options. There was no escape. He was almost ready to give up when he saw the sign for Mike's Bar. His heart leaped. IF there was a way out of this, Mike would know. He ran across the street, barely avoiding the oncoming traffic and passing pedestrians.

"Mike! Mike, where are you?" he called, storming through the entrance. He stopped when he realized that no one was there. Panicking, he ran behind the bar to search the back. "Mike, are you here?" No luck. Remembering that it had been the drink he had ordered that had brought him to this alternate destiny, he scrambled over to the shelves and attempted to remake it. When he finished, he prayed that he the correct combination and took a big drink, which he instantly spat out. Obviously **THAT** wasn't right. _So disgusting!_ he thought to himself. He mixed the drink again, but when he took a drink, he discovered that once again, he had gotten the mixture wrong. Austin threw the glass against the wall, yelling at the top of his lungs in outrage. Then, heartbroken, he dropped to his knees. Feeling more and more positive that he wasn't going to make it back home, tears began to run down his face. "I'd do anything to be back with Sam. I was wrong to think I could've had a better life without her. **She is my life**. I don't care about my dreams anymore. I just want her," he sobbed, pleading with an absent spirit guide. The flashing lights of the police cars pulling up to the bar snapped him out of the prayer. He stood up and lifted his arms as he slowly walked towards the entrance. "Okay, I'm coming out. I'm unarmed so please take it easy," he called, his heart pounding a mile a minute as the officers approached the door. The door flung open and to his surprise, it wasn't the cops.

"Did someone call for a tow truck?" Austin shook his head in confusion. Had he actually returned? Or had he been dreaming this whole time? Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he turned around to see a man standing next to him. Seeing the look of confusion, the man explained that he had called a tow truck for him. Austin smiled and thanked him. The man left and Austin turned back to the bar. His eyes widened. Mike was standing behind the counter! It was like he had never left. His empty glass was still on the buffet, and to his relief, he saw that his car was parked outside exactly where he left it. _Oh my god, I'm back!_ he happily thought to himself.

"Wait, how did I get back?" Austin asked, trying to figure it out, but his mind came up blank.

"What do you mean, Austin? You've been here this whole time," Mike smiled. Austin looked at Mike and scratched his head.

"I didn't have the right combination though," he stated and then looked down.

Mike smiled at the man.

"Austin, you just sat here and told me about your wife and how you didn't care about your dreams. You said that as long as you had Sam nothing else mattered," he reminded him. Austin's eyes widened as realized the significance of what Mike was saying.

"That's it. All I had to do this whole time was to give up my dream for the people who mattered the most to me...right?" He hesitated, waiting for assurance from Mike. The man nodded and Austin smiled.  
"Whatever you have in store for me, Mike. It's perfect. Don't change a thing," the writer stated.

"Happy birthday, Austin," Mike smiled, lifting a glass. Austin chuckled as he went out to the parking lot to head home. It was such a relief to be back. Even though this birthday had started off on the wrong foot, he knew that everything was going to be okay.

Still not over yet folks. One last chapter coming soon!


	6. Life is Good

**Life is Good**

Austin walked out of the bar, feeling completely transformed. He grinned. He hadn't felt this way about anything since he'd made the decision to go after Sam at the football game. It was like he had been given a second chance to embrace his life. He couldn't keep the smile off of his face as he got into his car, started the engine, and drove home. As he passed the diner, the sadness returned briefly. However, his smile re-emerged, knowing that Sam would be home later.

"Wow, what a day it's been," he sighed. He pulled up to the house, and let out another sigh as he turned off the engine.

Though the house was pitch dark and quiet, Austin couldn't have been happier to be home.  
"I wonder if Carter's gonna come over?" he asked himself, walking across his yard, recalling that his friend had said that he would drop in if he didn't have any big plans. Austin pulled out his house key and unlocked the front door. He had just walked inside and closed the door, when without warning, the lights came on and large group of people emerged from the darkness.  
"SURPRISE!" everyone shouted. Austin's jaw dropped as he noticed a banner hanging from the ceiling which read, "Happy 30th Birthday Austin!"

Austin felt completely blown away at the sight of his family and friends. The first person he saw was Sam, who was grinning from ear to ear. His jaw hit the floor. "Sam?" he asked, almost not believing his eyes. Sam giggled as the others walked towards him, wishing him a happy 30th birthday.  
"Look at all of you," he breathed. Sam instantly ran over to her husband, wrapping her arms around him as she kissed him passionately. After relishing in her touch for a little bit, Austin greeted his friends with hugs and kisses."Dad, Carter, Rhonda. Man, I missed you guys so much!" he exclaimed.

"You have?" Sam asked in confusion. What was he talking about? As Austin stared at Sam, he found himself becoming lost in her beautiful eyes.

"Oh Sam, I had forgotten how beautiful you are." She smiled and was surprised when Austin once again kissed her passionately. After they broke apart, she wrapped her arms around him.  
"Promise me you'll always be my wife," he whispered.

"I promise," she replied, pulling back to look at him in confusion. _What's brought this on? _she wondered. Austin turned back to their friends and family, and then, to their amazement, began to explain his roller coaster ride.

"Wait, until I tell you guys what happened. You're not going to believe it."

"It's okay, Austin. Carter, told us. We'll manage."

"No, no not that. I could get another job anywhere." As he smiled at everyone, he realized just how many wonderful people he had in his life."I'm just so glad to see you guys. I can't explain how much this means to me. Thank you." He then turned to his wife, and picked her off the ground, hugging her as tight as he could without hurting her. He barely heard their friends' laughter and applause as he twirled her in a circle. Finally, he put her back on the ground.

"So, were you really surprised?"

"Sam, this whole day has been big surprise."

"Are you hungry?" She asked him.

"Yeah, but I'll get something in a little while. Thank you, honey," he replied, leaning in to hug her again. "I love you so much. Thank you!"

"You're welcome, babe. I'll be in the kitchen once you're ready to eat, okay?" He smiled and nodded as they walked into the kitchen. As she continued to cook, he couldn't help but stare.

Hey, Big Guy. Happy birthday," someone said, breaking his reverie and he turned to see who it was. Then, his features curved into a grin.

"Carter! Man, am I glad to see you!" he said excitedly. Then, "What's with the suit, dude? You have an audition or something?" Carter couldn't keep his grin away.

"Something like that," he answered. Then, holding out a gift, "Happy 30th birthday, buddy." Austin took the present and looked at Carter in confusion.

"But you already-" The sentence trailed off as Carter laughed.

"This is your real present. I gave you the Starbucks card as a gag." Austin laughed and Carter joined him.

"It worked, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it sure did." Austin unwrapped the gift and was shocked to see a model car. _Whoa, I can't-this is amazing_, he thought to himself.

"It's a '67 Mustang. Do you like it?" Carter asked with a smile, watching Austin's eyes get bigger as he studied the car.

"Oh, Carter! I love it! I always wanted one of these."

"Yeah, I know. Sam told me that you collected cars when you were younger, and that this was the only one you were missing." Austin stared at his gift, unsure of what to say. He couldn't believe it. None of his old friends would've even remembered, or if they had, they would've given him a lot of flack for it. Yet, Carter not only remembered, but was speaking as if he understood how important finishing the collection was to him. Finally, he looked back at Carter.

"Thanks, man. This means a lot to me."

"You're welcome." Looking past Carter, Austin saw someone else he wanted to talk to as well.

"Hey, I'll be back in a second, okay?" he questioned, patting his friend on the shoulder. As Austin walked away, he was greeted by his father.

"Happy birthday, son! It's great to see ya!" he said, wrapping his son in a bear hug. "So, how's it feel being 30?" he continued with a chuckle.

"It couldn't feel better after what's happened today," Austin replied. "Thank you for being here."

"No problem, Buddy," his father replied. "I'm just sorry I wasn't able to buy you a present though. Work's just been really crazy lately," he continued.

"Oh, Dad. It's all right. Just you being here's more than enough," Austin assured, though he had to admit, he **WAS** a bit let down.

"Now I never said I didn't have a gift, just that I didn't buy one," the man corrected, barely containing his excitement. Austin looked at him in confusion

"So, what do you mean then?" he wondered.

"Okay, I was over to see you before work the other day and your phone rang. When I answered it, I learned that it was a publishing company," the man told him. Austin's stomach tightened. Had they liked his book, or was it just another rejection? He forced himself to pay attention as his father continued. "They told me some exciting news...Son...they're going to publish your book!" the man finished, pumping his fists in the air in celebration. Austin stammered for a few minutes and then laughed in delight. It was happening! It was really happening!

"Are you serious! Oh, my god! I can't believe it!" He hugged his dad and then laughed and hardly noticed when he started jumping up and down in excitement. Then, "Please tell me you're not playing a birthday prank on me."

Nope. It's official, son." Austin laughed again.

"Wow! Ohhhh my...what else did they say?"

"They told me they would contact you in a few days with more details."

"I don't know what to say, Dad. I did it! I was beginning to think I'd never make it!"

"Well, you did, Austin. Enjoy it." The man cleared his throat before continuing. "I'd like to take you and Sam out to dinner tomorrow to celebrate. How does that sound?"

"I'd have to check with her first, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind. It sounds awesome. Thank you so much!" He hugged his father again and decided that from now on, he'd fully appreciate the things that mattered the most.

_Well, there you have it. That was my 30th birthday. I told you it was crazy! I'm not sure if I should tell anyone. I mean, who would believe me? Maybe it's just one of those things you take to the grave with you. Maybe it'd be better that way. I mean, looking back at my decision and questioning if I did the right thing turned out to be a good thing. It made me realize even more that I chose the correct path, even though the 24 hours in my alternate destiny was hell. I learned that no matter what it is in life that you just have to follow your heart and you'll never go wrong._

**Flash back: After the football game**

Austin sat on the empty bleachers, still wearing his football gear. Sam had gone out to her car to wait for him as he changed from the uniform to his regular clothing. He sighed. He couldn't be happier about the decision to live his own life, but fear of the unknown had started to sink in. He stood up and began to walk down the bleachers when he heard a strange voice call his name. He turned around to see a man standing in the shadows.

"Saw the game, Austin. Tough break," he stated.

"You said it, Mister. I gave up a great opportunity," Austin told him, as he squinted, trying to get a closer look at him. However, the shadows covered his face.

"Yeah, I know. But don't get down on yourself, though. You have your whole life ahead of you. Things will turn out just fine," the man assured, as he finally stepped out of the shadows. Austin frowned. He didn't recognize him from school and the fact that he was talking to him like they were buddies was a little unnerving. "Trust me," he said. Austin nodded his head in agreement and then walked to the locker rooms to change. As he changed out of the uniform, Austin mulled over the man's advise. Then, he scoffed.

"Old fart. What the hell does **HE** know?"


End file.
